Avoidance of ant chemical traces by spider mites and its interpretation (original) (raw)
Related papers
Spider mites avoid caterpillar traces to prevent intraguild predation
Research Square (Research Square), 2022
The phytophagous spider mites Tetranychus kanzawai and Tetranychus urticae can be as small as < 0.5 mm; thus, they are often incidentally consumed along with food plant leaves by voracious lepidopteran larvae (hereafter, 'caterpillars'). Therefore, the ability to avoid such intraguild predation should confer a selective advantage to mites. We experimentally demonstrated that adult females of both mite species avoided settling on food plant leaves with traces of all tested caterpillar species (Bombyx mori, Papilio xuthus, Spodoptera litura and Theretra oldenlandiae). We examined additional interactions using B. mori and T. kanzawai and found that B. mori trace avoidance by T. kanzawai lasted for more than 48 h. Tetranychus kanzawai also avoided B. mori traces on plant stems, along which mites access leaves. Moreover, T. kanzawai avoided acetone extracts of B. mori traces applied to filter paper, indicating that chemical substances of caterpillar traces are responsible for the avoidance. This study is the first demonstration of a repellent effect of herbivore trace chemicals on heterospecific herbivores. Although spider mites have developed resistance against many synthetic pesticides, these results predict that natural compounds simulating caterpillar traces may repel spider mites from agricultural crops. Some predators exposed to intraguild predation (IGP) have developed strategies to avoid it 1-4. By contrast, tiny herbivores are sometimes consumed along with plants by much larger herbivores 5-7 , which can be considered incidental IGP. Therefore, the ability to avoid such incidental IGP should confer a selective advantage to tiny herbivores. However, little is known about IGP avoidance by tiny herbivores except for examples of aphids that immediately drop off a plant in response to the breath of a mammalian herbivore 5. The spider mites Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida and Tetranychus urticae Koch are typically < 0.5 mm in size, and feed on a variety of wild and cultivated plant species 8-10. These mites construct protective webs on host plant leaves and usually live beneath them 11,12. Lepidopteran caterpillars such as Papilio xuthus L. and Theretra oldenlandiae Fabricius that share host plants with these mites 10,13-15 grow to 30-100 mm, and indiscriminately consume spider mite-infested and uninfested leaves 6. For example, a final instar T. oldenlandiae consumes approximately 20 Cayratia japonica (Thunb.) Gagnep. leaflets per day (Kinto, personal observation). Even if some mites can successfully escape caterpillar attack, all eggs and quiescent mites along with webs will be lost 6. Therefore, any trait that prevents such loss should confer a selective advantage to the mites. Host plant use by T. kanzawai and T. urticae is ultimately determined by adult females that disperse from their webs and found new webs on uninfested leaves 14-17 Moreover, adult females of these mites exhibit the ability to detect predator traces on leaves 18-21. Therefore, we hypothesized that adult female spider mites should avoid caterpillar traces on host plants, which would indicate ongoing caterpillar activity. Here, we provide the first report of spider mite avoidance of caterpillar traces on host plants as well as chemical extracts of these traces. Materials and methods All the materials followed relevant institutional and national guidelines and legislation. Mites. We used a T. kanzawai population collected from trifoliate orange trees (Poncirus trifoliata [L.] Raf.) in 2018 in Kyoto, Japan, and a T. urticae population collected from chrysanthemum plants (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) in 1998 in Nara, Japan. These populations were reared on adaxial surfaces of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) primary leaves, which were pressed onto water-saturated cotton in Petri dishes (90 mm
Know your foe: synanthropic spiders are deterred by semiochemicals of European fire ants
Royal Society Open Science
Many ants prey on spiders, suggesting that web-building spiders may avoid micro-locations near ant colonies or frequented by foraging ants. Here we tested the hypothesis that ant-derived semiochemicals deter synanthropic spiders. To generate stimuli, we exposed filter paper for 12 h to workers of European fire ants, Myrmica rubra, black garden ants, Lasius niger, or western carpenter ants, Camponotus modoc , and then offered select urban spiders in three-chamber olfactometer bioassays a choice between ant-exposed filter paper and unexposed control filter paper. Semiochemical deposits of M. rubra , but not of L. niger or C. modoc , had a significant deterrent effect on subadults of the false black widow, Steatoda grossa, the black widow, Latrodectus hesperus , and the hobo spider, Eratigena agrestis, as well as a moderate (but statistically not significant) deterrent effect on the cross spider, Araneus diadematus . The deterrent effect caused by semiochemical deposits of M. rubra may...
Response of spider mites to odours from plants damaged by herbivores
Plants under herbivore attack produce volatiles, thus attracting natural enemies of the herbivores. However, in doing so, the plant becomes more conspicuous to other herbivores. Herbivores may use the odours as a cue to refrain from visiting plants that are already infested, thereby avoiding competition for food, or, alternatively, to visit plants with defences weakened by earlier attacks. We investigated the response of one species of herbivore (the spider mite Tetranychus urticae) to odours emanating from cucumber plants infested by conspecific or heterospecific (the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis) herbivores. Olfactometer experiments in the laboratory showed that spider mites have a slight, but significant, preference for plants infested with conspecifics, but strongly avoid plants with thrips. These results were substantiated with greenhouse experiments. We released spider mites on the soil in the centre of a circle of six plants, half of which were infested with either conspecifics or heterospecifics (thrips), whereas the other half were uninfested. It was found that 60-70% of the mites were recaptured on the plants within 5 h after release. Results of these experiments were in agreement with results of the olfactometer experiments: (1) significantly fewer spider mites were found on plants infested with thrips than on uninfested plants and (2) more mites were found on plants with conspecifics than on clean plants (although this difference was not significant). From a functional point of view it makes sense that spider mites prefer clean plants over thrips-infested plants, since thrips are not only competitors, but are also known as intraguild predators of spider mites. Possible reasons for the slight attraction of spider mites to plants infested with conspecifics are discussed.
Spider mites avoid plants with predators
1999
While searching for food, prey can use cues associated with their predators to select patches with a reduced predation risk. In many cases, odours indicate the presence of both food and predators. Spider mites are known to use odours to locate food and mates, but also to avoid interspecific competitors. We studied the response of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, to cues associated with the presence of their predators, the phytoseiid Phytoseiulus persimilis. We found that the spider mites strongly avoid plants defended by this predator, but do not avoid plants with another predatory mite, Neoseiulus californicus. Since P. persimilis is commonly used in the greenhouse where our strain of T. urticae was collected and strains of this pest are known to adapt to greenhouse environments, we hypothesize that there has been selection on the pest to recognize its enemy. We further hypothesize that there has been no selection to recognize N. californicus, as it has not been used against two-spotted spider mites in the greenhouse where our spider mites were collected. We discuss the implications of avoidance of predation by spider mites and non-lethal effects of predators for biological control of this pest in greenhouses.
Florida Entomologist, 2007
A BSTRACT The residual effects of several reduced-risk and conventional miticides were evaluated in strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne) on the twospotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) and on 2 predatory mites, Neoseiulus californicus McGregor and Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Experiments were conducted in the laboratory and greenhouse. The greenhouse experiments also tested the direct effects of the miticides on TSSM. The efficacy of conventional and reduced-risk miticides was evaluated on strawberry leaf discs and on whole plants for control of TSSM. Furthermore, the residual effects of these miticides were evaluated on whole strawberry plants against selective predatory mites. For TSSM, 5 treatments were evaluated: a conventional miticide; fenbutatin-oxide (Vendex®) and 3 reduced-risk miticides; binfenazate (Acramite 50WP®), activated garlic extract (Repel®), sesame seed and castor oil (Wipeout®), and a water-treated control. For predatory mites, the residual effects of only Acramite® and Vendex® were evaluated. Acramite® was the most effective acaricide in reducing TSSM populations in both the laboratory and greenhouse experiments. Vendex® and Wipeout® were also effective in the laboratory, but did not cause significant reduction of TSSM in the greenhouse. Repel® was the least effective of the 4 pesticides evaluated. Neither Acramite® nor Vendex® had a significant effect on either predatory mite species. However, there appeared to be more predatory mites on the Vendex®-treated plants than on the Acramite®-treated plants. There were significantly more predatory mites of both species on the cue plants, which were inoculated with TSSM versus the non-cue plants, which were not inoculated.
1999
The response of adult females of the predatory mite Typhlodromus kerkirae (Acari: Phytoseiidae) to volatiles emitted from bean leaves infested with Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) or from leaves of Oxalis corniculata infested with Petrobia harti (Acari: Tetranychidae) was studied in the laboratory using a Y-tube olfactometer. Typhlodromus kerkirae females reared from larvae through to adults on T. urticae and pollen of Vicia faba responded to volatiles of bean leaves infested with T. urticae, either when they had a choice between infested and non-infested bean leaves or between bean leaves infested with T. urticae and O. corniculata leaves infested with P. harti. However, they did not respond when they had been reared only on the carotenoiddeficient pollen of V. faba. Female T. kerkirae that had been reared from larva to the tenth day of adult life on T. urticae and subsequently fed for 1 week on V. faba pollen did not respond to volatiles of bean leaves infested with T. urticae. In contrast, those that had been reared on V. faba pollen to the tenth day of adult life and subsequently fed for 1 week on T. urticae responded to volatiles of infested bean leaves.
The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a very serious pest of many crops in temperate and tropical climates. Several of the attempts to control this mite by using chemical insecticides have failed mainly because of development of pesticide resistance. Though several natural enemies have been recorded as potential predators of T. urticae, the predator used most often has been the phytoseiid mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot. Earlier studies have also indicated that anthocorid predators are effective biological control agents of spider mites. An anthocorid predator Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) was collected from the field and successfully multiplied on the eggs of the rice moth Corcyra cephalonica Stainton. Laboratory studies indicated that B. pallescens could feed on 190 and 116 T. urticae nymphs during its nymphal and adult stages, respectively. In the net house studies, there was a 78% reduction in th...
University Journal of Zoology, Rajshahi University, 2007
The experiment was conducted to study the effectiveness of four commonly used chemicals viz., deltamethrin, cypermethrin, malathion and sulphur against two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae Koch on potted bean plants and on excised leaf discs. Mite population remained significantly lower in all treated plots except malathion treatment. The population of T. urticae differed significantly due to different chemicals and it remained lower up to 4th week on single-sprayed plants, which again increased. But in double-sprayed plants mite population was checked and remained significantly lower. The estimated LC 50 values for cypermethrin, malathion, deltamethrin and sulphur were 2.9956, 15.8663, 0.5386 and 20.7045 nl.cm -2 respectively when the chemicals were sprayed before mite release. But the LC 50 values for these chemicals sprayed after mite release were estimated 1. 8110, 8.2746, 0.2192 and 6.8308 nl.cm -2 . The use of chemicals is essential for better yield of crops. Among the four tested chemicals the pyrithroids (cypermethrin and deltamethrin) were found more effective against the TSSM than the other two.
Acta Oecologica, 2000
While observations suggest that plant chemicals could be important in maintaining the specificity and permitting the functioning of ant-plant symbioses, they have been little studied. We report here the strongest evidence yet for chemical signalling between ants and plants in a specific ant-plant protection symbiosis. In the mutualism between Leonardoxa africana subsp. africana and Petalomyrmex phylax, ants continuously patrol young leaves, which are vulnerable to attacks by phytophagous insects. We provide experimental evidence for chemical mediation of ant attraction to young leaves in this system. By a comparative analysis of the related non-myrmecophytic tree L. africana subsp. gracilicaulis, we identify likely candidates for attractant molecules, and suggest they may function not only as signals but also as resources. We also propose hypotheses on the evolutionary origin of these plant volatiles, and of the responses to them by mutualistic ants. © 2000 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS
International Journal of Acarology, 2010
and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.